There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sand between your toes on a hot day, and The County Hotel Bath’s newly refurbished inside bar with eclectic art has an exciting new addition, The Beach Bar terrace (the first of its kind to launch in the city), providing guests with all the magic ingredients save for the lapping waves and sharks.
Sister to the brilliantly designed No.15 Great Pulteney and owned by Ian and Christa Taylor, the space reflects the couple’s truly infectious sense of fun. Well and truly transformed for the summer months, the Beach Bar terrace is now a colourful tropical paradise complete with drinks hut, rice boat, kitsch flamingos and bright Balinese parasols, while low, comfortable seating, including stripy deckchairs, makes for a secret drinks venue with friends that’s nothing if not a conversation starter.
Alongside the popular Mojito, Pina Colada and Aperol Spritz, The Beach Bar’s own cocktails take inspiration from luxury beach resorts around the world including the ‘Amalfi Coast’ with limoncello, aperol, strawberries and honey, while ‘Venice Beach’ (see recipe below) is a more sophisticated champagne cocktail featuring Chambord raspberry liqueur and a zesty lemon sorbet, the ideal end-of-week sundowner to enjoy whilst admiring the bar’s incredible views of Bath Abbey.
An appealing bar menu featuring pizzas, burgers and hot dogs, along with healthy, gluten free and vegan options, is likely to make guests linger, as will the beach BBQ events being held Friday-Sunday. Come the winter the sand will make way for snow, when the space becomes a Winter Wonderland experience like no other and will see guests wrapped up with a boozy hot chocolate or mulled wine.
Jon Reid Photography
Venice Beach
Ingredients
30ml vodka
20ml Chambord
20ml raspberry vinegar
25ml honey
1 scoop lemon sorbet
Champagne
Method:
Add all ingredients to a Boston tin, excluding the champagne. Shake hard, top up with champagne and stir before double straining into a champagne flute. Garnish with a few raspberries skewered on a cocktail stick. Sip in the sunshine.
The County Hotel Bath, 18-19 Pulteney Road, Bath BA2 4EZ. For more information please visit the website. Images by Steve Russell Photography.
